Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In certain jurisdictions, such primary games are games of luck, not games of skill. For instance, an award for a wagered on play of a primary game is based on the player obtaining a randomly determined winning symbol or symbol combination. One reason these gaming machines are popular is because an amateur, novice or inexperienced player can play most gaming machines at the player's own pace, with no required skills, strategy or risk evaluation and perform as well as a seasoned or experienced player.
Certain other gaming machines include games such as video poker and blackjack which involve certain player strategy or decision-making. In these games, the player decides which cards to hold in draw-type poker games and whether to take additional cards in blackjack-type card games. These games generally require a certain level of strategy to be successful. Moreover, gaming machines in certain jurisdictions include games that involve a skill event, such as an event requiring player dexterity to be successful. These games do not generate outcomes purely upon a random determination, rather such games require player inputs of skill or strategy to determine success or failure.
Progressive awards associated with gaming machines are also known. In one form, a progressive award is an award amount which includes an initial amount funded by a casino and an additional amount funded through a portion of wagers made on the progressive gaming machines. The progressive award grows in value as players play the gaming machines and more portions of these wagers are allocated to the progressive award. When a player obtains a winning symbol or winning symbol combination associated with the progressive award, the accumulated progressive award is provided to the player. After the progressive award is provided to the player, the amount of the next progressive award is reset to the initial value and a portion of subsequent wagers on the gaming machine associated with the progressive award are allocated to the next progressive award.
While progressive awards are popular amongst players, certain players become discouraged by the frequency which such progressive awards are provided. For example, when a progressive award is not provided relatively frequently, a player may feel deflated that the progressive award will not hit for a long period of time and not wish to continue playing the gaming machine. In another example, after a progressive award is provided to a player, a player may not find the reset progressive award desirable or worth the cost of continuing to play. Such a decision to stop playing the gaming machine or not even start playing the gaming machine due to the above-described situations of jackpot fatigue presents a problem to gaming establishment operators.
There is thus a continuing need to provide new and different gaming machines which incorporate one or more aspects of skill in determining which awards, such as progressive awards, are provided to players.
There is also a continuing need to provide new and different gaming machines which cater to higher skilled players while still accommodating lesser skilled players when determining which awards, such as progressive awards, are provided to such players.